*Premiering 13 August in Beijing, the personal stories and achievements of seven "environmental champion" torchbearers selected by Coca-Cola for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay are the subject of a new documentary film created by student filmmakers. * The movie makes its debut at 8:30pm inside the Coca-Cola "Shuang Experience Center," within the Olympic Green complex of sports and media venues. To help underscore the message of environmental stewardship – and recognise those who are dedicated to pursuing positive change – Coca-Cola selected local environmental champions to join the ranks of all the torchbearers the Company chose around the world to carry the Olympic Flame. Individual vignettes profiling seven of the Coca-Cola environmental champions were shot and edited by student filmmakers from the torchbearers’ respective parts of the world. *Environmental initiatives * The "Environmental Champions" documentary film project is among several environmental programs by Coca-Cola for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. In one key area, 100% of the coolers and vending machines provided by Coca-Cola for Olympic Games venues – more than 5,600 climate-friendly, "eKOfresh" units – feature a natural refrigerant that is free of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as well as proprietary technology that improves energy efficiency by up to 35%. This commitment alone will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 4,000 metric tonnes – the equivalent of taking more than 19,000 cars off the road for two weeks. Other environmental initiatives by Coca-Cola for the Olympic Games include the presentation to all 2008 Olympians of exclusive Coca-Cola T-shirts made from a blend of cotton and recycled PET plastic bottles, to demonstrate the high value of PET bottles and how they can be turned into desirable products. Also, all 2008 Paralympians are being provided unique Coca-Cola visors also produced using recycled PET. Furthermore, all PET bottles collected from the Olympic venues will be recycled. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is supporting Beijing’s efforts to improve the city’s air quality by operating a "clean fleet" of electric- or human-powered delivery vehicles for Olympic venues. Featured champions From among all the environmental champion torchbearers selected by Coca-Cola for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, the following achievers are featured in the new film documentary: Filiz Demirayak (from Turkey), the director general of WWF-Turkey and a renowned professional in coastal management. Nikolay Drozdov (from Russia), a biological scientist and the host of Russia’s popular television program, "In the World of Animals." Liu Hong-Liang (from China), a noted environmental scientist specializing in lake research. Yasmin Rashid (from Pakistan), a founding member and chairperson of one of Pakistan’s most-notable non-governmental organizations, the Pani Pakistan Foundation. Douglas Stoup (from the United States), a global explorer and environmentalist who was the first American male to ski to the South Pole. Anna Tibaijuka (from Tanzania), the Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Programme on Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT).i> Alby Wooler (from Australia), known locally as "Mr. Landcare" for his exceptional volunteer environmental work. "The Olympic Games provide a great platform to demonstrate the Coca-Cola system’s commitment to sustainability and help raise global awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship," said Muhtar Kent, The Coca-Cola Company President and CEO. "These seven ambassadors of sustainability are distinguished representatives of all the environmental champions selected by Coca-Cola to be part of the Olympic Torch Relay. Their environmental accomplishments weave together to tell a powerful, inspiring story of how individuals can make a difference." The Coca-Cola Company tapped into its worldwide system to identify local student filmmakers who could creatively capture the personal stories and environmental work of the seven torchbearers. Their vignettes were edited into the final documentary by film students from Georgia State University (GSU), in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. "This was anything but a normal school assignment, but everyone on this project, in all the countries, has been thrilled by the opportunity to produce a moving tribute to these environmental champions with Coca-Cola," said project faculty advisor Dr. Niklas Vollmer, Associate Professor, Film/Video, Department of Communication, Georgia State University.

UK confectionery company Pecan Deluxe has reformulated its range to include low-fat alternatives and more natural flavours. Pecan Deluxe has also increased the flexibility of its confectionery products so that they can be used in a wider range of applications, such as baked goods. Among the new line of products are bake-stable fudge and caramel pieces. The range also includes caramel fudge, brownie fudge, clotted cream fudge and vanilla fudge pieces. An added advantage of the range for food producers is that the vast majority of the inclusions can be stored at ambient temperature levels, so there's no need for chilling and costs can be kept to a minimum. Pecan Deluxe's UK managing director Allan Dew said: "Pecan Deluxe is continuously expanding and developing all its ranges. The confectionery range has recently been extended to be able to offer our customers an extremely versatile range of confectionery ingredients, which gives great scope for product diversification, and are all designed to allow confectionery manufacturers to develop products that are personalised and delicious." Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe) Ltd was established in the UK in 1999 and supplies all of Europe and Australia from its plant based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire. *

Walkers, Britain's top crisps and snacks manufacturer, is launching a heavyweight TV advertising campaign this month to support its category leading 'Do Us a Flavour! Win a Packet!' promotion. The TV campaign will feature brand ambassador Gary Lineker, and forms part of a £10million advertising and marketing campaign behind the promotion. This is the biggest investment Walkers has made in a single campaign in its 60-year history. The new campaign, developed by AMV BBDO, airs 11 August 2008 and runs for nine weeks across key terrestrial and satellite TV channels. The 'Do Us a Flavour! Win a Packet!' promotion launched in July and runs until May 2009. It invites consumers to submit their new flavour ideas for Walkers Crisps – and in the process win a 'packet'. A panel of judges, led by Heston Blumenthal will pick six finalists from all the entries received, which will then go on sale and the public will get to vote for their favourite. The winner will receive £50,000 plus 1% of all future sales. Five runners-up will walk away with £10,000 each. Miranda Sambles, Walkers Marketing Manager, said: The 'Do Us a Flavour! Win a Packet!' promotion is the biggest Walkers activity we have ever run, and this heavyweight TV advertising campaign, along with the other significant marketing and advertising activity, will help ensure huge awareness and drive consumers into stores right across the nation. "We anticipate a huge response and urge retailers to take advantage of the massive £10m investment we're putting behind the promotion by stocking up on Walkers and using prominent promotional point of sale to drive sales. Doing us a flavour really could make them a packet!”

Green Giant Soup will come in a pouch and will be available in three delicious flavours: Vine Ripened Tomato, Country Garden Vegetable and Farm Harvested Mushroom. “Consumers are at the heart of everything we do,” said Linda Hipkiss, the company's Marketing Director. “Our ongoing research revealed that there's a real gap in the soup category for a product that provides shoppers with a fresh, natural, high-quality offering from a brand they love and trust." Andy Foweather, Sales Director, General Mills UK, said: “Green Giant Soup is set to be a major retail success and its potential is huge. The brand's key attributes deliver a differentiated offering to the soup category, which provides it with strong consumer appeal. On top of that, Green Giant Soup will be backed by a heavyweight marketing support package which will tell shoppers all about the brand and drive demand.”

*Australian based Austcorp Water Technologies will launch Rainpure, its patented water purification system, on the European market at Aquatech Amsterdam this September. * The company hopes its Rainpure water purification system will create a significant buzz at the show, and is off to a good start with a nomination for the Aquatech Innovation Award in the point of use category. Austcorp Water Technologies General Manager Alfred Lo commented: “Aquatech is where the most innovative products on the global market come under the spotlight, and this award nomination provides an unparalleled opportunity to propel Rainpure’s water purifiers into the international market, which we are justifiably excited about.” Rainpure’s water purification solution features technology developed by Australian inventor and professor, Davoud Tajer. The system is based on Cold Vaporisation technology which replicates nature’s purification process, but does so in a closed and sterile environment which guarantees 100% pure water. Davoud explained: “Untreated source water enters a purification chamber where it vaporises at near ambient temperatures under high vacuum. The resulting ultra-pure water is then condensed and aerated to produce soft water free of pollutants and contaminants. It’s even purer than rainwater because it is created in a sterile environment without atmospheric pollutants.” Green credentials In Australia, Rainpure has appointed a number of specialist distributors in a bid to fully target their range of purification systems to various markets, including the small office, home office (SOHO) sector, wider corporate and industrial sectors, the traditional home/domestic market, and even the military. Rainpure stated its green credentials would no doubt have strong market appeal. “Our technology purifies water on-site: there are no trucks required for bottled water delivery or use of PET plastic bottles,” Alfred added. On an international level, Rainpure will use its attendance at Aquatech to launch its search for major distributors to bring the product to Europe. “Europeans have treated their drinking water at home and in their offices for some time, and this is reflected in a diverse and open market, with a myriad of products ranging from home and office delivered bottled water through to POU filtration systems,” Alfred continued. In readiness for this international expansion, the company has embarked on securing certification in each new international market it is targeting. This process began with the company’s manufacturing plant in China completing ISO 9001:2000 quality certification in early 2007, and later passing safety standards in Europe, Japan and the USA. “It’s an intensive process, not unlike crash testing new vehicles before they are released onto the market,” Davoud explained. “Just like the automotive industry, nearly every country has its own standards which differ in subtle ways from the others. But if you’re serious about global expansion, it’s an essential part of the process – and we’ve made very big plans!”

Hansen’s volume grew 6.5% to the equivalent of 28.7 million 192oz (5.68-litre) cases in the three months to 30 June, while net sales were 15.3% up at $282.2m. Sales of Monster and Java Monster drinks increased 22.3%, although Lost Energy and other Hansen energy drinks were down. The California-based company’s sales outside the US jumped 45.5% to $19.5m, including about $1.9m in the UK, where Monster Energy was launched earlier this year. Since then, the drink has also been launched in Spain and Sweden. Hansen’s operating income for Q2 increased 27.3% to $78.2m, while net earnings jumped 31.1% to $50.2m or $0.51 per diluted share. Over the first half of 2008, Hansen’s volume grew 10% to 51 million equivalent 192oz cases, with net sales up 20.4% to $494.4m. H1 operating income grew 29.7% to $121m, while net earnings grew 35.1% to $79m or $0.80 per diluted share. Strong performance "We're proud of the continued strong performance of the Monster brand at a time when almost all categories of ready-to-drink beverages in the US are experiencing weakness,” said Rodney Sacks, Hansen’s chairman and CEO. “This weakness is most pronounced in convenience store cold drink channels, where the vast majority of energy drinks are sold. “We continue to believe that the moderating growth we have seen in energy drinks appears, in part, to be due to the challenging macro-economic environment, and the resulting decline in store traffic primarily in the convenience and gas sector, especially in Southern California.” In a subsequent conference call to discuss the results, Sacks told analysts he was encouraged by the successful introduction of Monster in Europe. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he said. “We believe we’ll get there.” Sacks also said Hansen would be launching a new “shooter” energy drink called Hitman in a 3oz (89ml) can later in the present quarter.

Müller has launched a new TV campaign to promote Britain's biggest selling yogurt brand, Müller Corner. The new ads, which focus on the company's 'Mix it your way' message, will air for the first time on Monday 11 August on UK television, and an accompanying radio campaign will also run. The opening scenes of one of the adverts shows two entertainers tap dancing to music. After a few moments, a voiceover says "Nice! Now let’s mix it up differently like a Müller Corner". A Müller Corner stand, complete with big screen and touch screens encased in juke box pods, will be taking to the road and stopping off at city centres and shopping malls around the country. Consumers will be invited to create their very own Corner ads by mixing and matching a selection of clips featuring different dance styles. A selection of the mixes produced by consumers will be transmitted onto the main screen where they will be broadcast to those visiting the stand as well as passers-by. “Since it was launched in the UK two decades ago, Müller Corner has always been associated with bringing fun and involvement to a healthy category," said Chris McDonough, Müller UK’s Marketing and R&D Director. "The brand celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and we wanted a campaign that encapsulates the heritage and characteristics of the brand. ‘Mix it your way’ does exactly that. The TV ads are guaranteed to raise a laugh, and the radio, sampling and online activity will really get consumers involved with the brand and the campaign in a truly interactive way." Müller Corner has become the first yogurt brand in the UK to hit the £200million annual retail sales benchmark.

Coca-Cola Femsa, SAB de CV and The Coca-Cola Company entered into an agreement to jointly acquire the Colombian Brisa bottled water business (including the Brisa brand and production assets) from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. The closing of the transaction is subject to approval from the Colombian anti-trust authorities and compliance by both parties with customary closing conditions. Coca-Cola Femsa said that the transaction will increase its presence in the water business and complements its portfolio. Brisa sold 47 million unit cases in 2007 in Colombia. "Through this acquisition, we will take another important step together with The Coca-Cola Company. “This transaction will expand our product portfolio to satisfy our consumers' preferences, reinforce our water strategy and continue to deliver value for our shareholders," said Jose Antonio Fernandez Carbajal, chairman of the board of Coca-Cola Femsa and Femsa. The purchase price, which will be shared equally by Coca-Cola Femsa and The Coca-Cola Company, is US$92 million. The parties have also agreed to customary arrangements regarding the performance of the business between signing and closing. In the past financial year, the business sold more than 2.6 million hectolitres of Brisa in Colombia. Agua Brisa presentations of still, sparkling and flavoured waters are produced in 13 plants across Colombia and are currently sold in over 230,000 outlets throughout the country. The Brisa operations in Panama are excluded from the transaction. Karl Lippert, President of Bavaria, commented: “The disposal of the water business will enable Bavaria to focus on its core strength, the brewing and distribution of beer and malted beverages. After closing, the transfer of assets and the commercial operation will be subject to a transition arrangement of several months, during which Bavaria will still be producing, selling and distributing Brisa.” Bavaria is the largest beverage company in Colombia. Its brands include: Águila, Águila Light, Póker, Costeña, Pilsen, Club Colombia, Brava, Barena, Costeñita, Cola & Pola and Pony Malta. Femsa has 31 bottling facilities in Latin America and serves over 1,500,000 retailers in the region. The Coca-Cola Company owns a 31.6% equity interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA.

*According to a recent survey undertaken by workplace facility company PHS, 71% of facilities managers believe the manual contact between staff and shared equipment is the biggest source of germ and virus transferral. * PHS Waterlogic’s mains-fed water dispensers each have an anti-microbial surface that inhibits the spread of bacteria through surface contact. A study carried out at the University of Arizona revealed that the average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than an office toilet seat, a concern as 57% of staff now regularly eat at their desks due to longer hours and larger workloads. This increase in office-based meals and refreshments also means more staff are choosing to use workplace-provided vending and refreshment services, such as water dispensers, further increasing the risk of bacteria spreading between users. Alarmingly, only 9% of facilities managers reported having anti-bacterial surface treatments in the kitchen and food preparation areas, with only a further 1% reporting that their workplace uses equipment with anti-bacterial treatment incorporated into its surfaces. Biocote is an active anti-microbial protective coating that is incorporated into PHS Waterlogic’s drinking water cooler units during the manufacturing process. Biocote prevents the risk of cross-contamination by inhibiting the growth and build up of bacteria. Biocote, only available across PHS Waterlogic’s range of mains fed water coolers, complements cleaning procedures in place and helps to minimise the levels of present harmful bacteria by 99.9% over a 24-hour period. Biocote technology is effective against a series of microbes such as MRSA, E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria and is guaranteed for the lifetime of the unit. This is particularly useful for the 61% of facilities managers that consider the maintenance of good hygiene levels in the workplace to be of high priority under their duty of care to staff and visitors. Illness costs UK businesses £13bn a year, and a loss of an estimated 175 million working days, heightening the need to create greater awareness amongst facilities managers to technology such as Biocote.

*Timed to coincide with the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, a new sports drink called Sixgram has been launched in Holland. * The functional drink is packaged in a 33cl Sleek Can supplied by Ball Packaging Europe, one of the leading beverage can makers in Europe. Netherlands based DIS Sittard developed the sports drink using the ingredient PeptoPro from life science company DSM. This groundbreaking all-natural ingredient promotes endurance, muscle and body regeneration and performance – and makes Sixgram the ideal drink for those who actively pursue sports. The secret of PeptoPro lies in a patent protected enzyme that generates tiny protein fragments, so-called peptides. Peptides are absorbed into the bloodstream much more quickly than conventional proteins and are therefore an excellent energy supplement for those who are conscious of the value of sport. DSM Food Specialities developed PeptoPro – which is already used by many top athletes - especially for the Dutch Olympic team. DSM, a Dutch producer of health supplements, is one of the team's main sponsors. Sixgram with its active ingredient PeptoPro enhances performance. Definitely a positive factor for athletes because the refreshing drink noticeably reduces the time the body requires to regenerate itself. This active ingredient is available in sport drinks developed by DIS Sittard with three fresh fruit flavours: red orange, grapefruit and mandarin. *Refreshing container: Sleek Can sets the scene * The Ball Packaging Europe 330 ml Sleek Can underlines the attributes of Sixgram: The modern, sporty slim shape of the steel can matches the refreshing sports drink. Consumers primarily associate the Sleek Can with diet, wellness and fitness drinks. "The trendy, premium container turns sports drinks into the eye-catcher on the shelf. Apart from that, the can protects the sensitive ingredient PeptoPro excellently and keeps the drink fresh for a long time, because the beverage can is the only packaging which is absolutely light-proof and oxygen-tight", explained Sigrid Küchmeister, Director Marketing at Ball Packaging Europe. "Sixgram in the Sleek Can – the optimal combination of content and design." What’s more, this can format is – like all beverage cans – completely recyclable.

Jolt, the 1980s cult energy drink, has been re-packaged in a re-sealable 16 oz Rexam Cap Can with closure technology from Dayton Systems Group (DSG). Jolt's parent company, Wet Planet, has partnered with Rexam to deliver this innovative, sustainable new package that is 100% recyclable. Jolt claims to be the first energy drink to be packaged in the Rexam Cap Can, which, in addition to being good for the environment, keeps the beverage colder longer and protects it from light. It is available now at convenience stores across the country. Jolt is available in seven flavours and provides a boost from ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, guarana, vitamin B complex and caffeine. Jolt first partnered with Rexam in 2005 to re-launch its brand with the 23.5 oz Rexam Cap Can. The new 16 oz size will deliver even broader consumer appeal. "The popular 16 oz size represents nearly 60% of all energy drink sales," said CJ Rapp, Wet Planet Beverages President. "This new 16 oz re-sealable package will allow us to reach even more consumers and provide them with portability options they never had before. We are confident this will help us build our brand by further differentiating our product on store shelves." "We worked closely with the team at Wet Planet to understand how we could help them achieve their goals of building their brand and bottom line," said Harry Barto, President and CEO, Rexam Beverage Can North America. "Our 16 oz Cap Can proved to be the answer, providing portability, the best in brand graphics, recycling superiority and exceptional retail value."

Soft drinks company Britvic has made a new lighter PET bottle for its 1 litre squash bottle. The new PET bottle is 2 grams lighter which will save an estimated 330 tonnes of plastic a year, equivalent to over 9 million empty bottles, and reduce the energy needed to make the bottles at the Robinsons factory in Norwich by 5%. Over the past two years Britvic has invested more than £5 million in making changes to its Robinsons brand to reduce the weight of packaging used, saving 1600 tonnes of plastic overall. Britvic CEO Paul Moody said: “Robinsons has come a long way in reducing its impact on the environment in the last two years but as always we are focused on further packaging reductions as well as energy and water usage reductions across all Britvic brands and at all our manufacturing sites.”